Stapling machine



March 31, 1953 R. .1. BEx-:cRoFT STAPLING MACHINE Filed March' 22 1950 R. J. BEECROFT STAPLINGWHMJHINEIE March 31, w53

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filedl March 22, 1950 1 INVENTOR. ,ea/35er J ffczfafl' Patented Mar. 31, 1953 y UNITEDsTATEs PATENT OFFICE r Roherelegtjvl N.

' thatstaples are the most expedient and inexpensive meansy available, however.` heretofore, the machines required for the stapling` operation were large, .bulky and relatively expensive, mass production; being: the only practical method of keeping. production costs at a minimum.

.The presentv inventioneliminates the need for the expensive, bulky stapling machines and provides a novelV device which can be utilized byk even the smallest of button manufacturers. kIn fact, individuals who have the need for such a machine may utilize. the instantinvention to fulfill their requirements. A

The invention consistsV of a handoperated stapling machine that is of' extremely novel construction and which may be fabricated of inexpensive sheet-metal stampings and provides for thefreception therein of a` staple magazine in the nature of. a'cartridge.

: The cartridge is sealed except for a relatively small' throat opening through, whichv the staples pass,. hereinafter disclosed in detail, and thereforedirt and other extraneous matter can not accumulate to `produce a staple jam. Also the cartridge has` been designed tobe inexpensively produced and is therefore' expendable; i. e., upon exhaustion of the staples therein,v Y the empty cartridge :is throwrrawayV and a full cartridge inserted in the machine. This practice avoidsl the direct handling of the: staples and preventslpunc-'Y turedffingers or cuts which previously `resulted from the sharp points thereon;

It: isa primaryobject ofl the invention tot proi `vide a stapling machine which will staple buttons or the like toa card.

f `Another .object resides.- in the. provision of a stapling machine having plural anvils thereon;

Still another object' provides for a stapling machine having amagazine infwhichi a. staple cartridge'A may be positioned.

A further object provides for a cartridge. having staples sealed therein..

. And a still further; object` provides foracartridge having internal springmeans which transports staples-to. a throat opening therein.

(ci. 1.-3) t Another object provides of a cartridge having staples and a` driving hammer therefor.

And another object provides for a cartridge having means thereonfor the. latehing thereof in a stapling machine.

Another object provides for a stapling machine having; releasable means for latching a cartridge in operative position. e

A further object provides forl a stapling machine having means' for 4actuating the cartridge staple driving. hammer.

And a further object provides for a4 stapling machine` wherein. the staples are driven upwardly.

And another object provides for a` stapling machine that wil-l accommodate cartridges of differing. lengths.

A Other ancillaryobjects will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in the lighty of the drawings in which:

1. isa perspective view of a stapling machine. y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention illustratinga staple magazine or cartridger therein anda button in stapling position.

Fig.. 3 is a plan Viewv ofthe cartridge and stapling arm therefor.

Fig. 4 isa fronti elevational View of the stapling machine with -a staple illustrated in dotted line, about to be:v driven intoa button.

Fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation of the stapling machinewith the staple secured to a button and the cartridge in"- the lowermost position. K Fig. 6V isa sectional view taken along line 6-8 of Figi. 7.

. Fig; 'Z i'sia sectional sideelevational view of the invention in open or'normal. position.

Fig, 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 8f--8 of Fight. f

Fig. 9.' is a, fragmentarysid'e elevationalview of a4 button positioned relative to the staple and anvil.

Fig. 10i is. afragmentar sidefelevational view of the,- second type ofbutton having attachment means at the. rear. thereof?, inl position to be attached toa foreign member. i

Fig. '11. is afperspective. View. of afstaple. cartridge.

Fig 12; isf a.'- 54293911211- .Sd emi/'351.09% View 0i@ l cartridge shtawing` thev springstaple earrier.

Fig. -131 Iis a fragmentaryI sectional view taken alongline 13'- ISpCEg.. '12, Y l

Fig. 14 is a.; sectional View taken along` line l 4,-I 41off1igf..12.

* Fia; lfr ari-.enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a staple cartridge with a staple positioned midway in the throat.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the spring staple feeder.

Fig. 1'7 is a fragmentary sectional view of an anvil.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line Iii-I8 of Fig. 17.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the stapling machine shown therein consists essentially of a stapling arm Ie, a base plate I| thereon and an anvil aosaeso carrying arm pivotally secured to the stapling arm I0. rIhe arm |2 is supported on a pin I3 having an annular recess I4 in the .periphery thereof; the pin I3 being journaled in appropriate openings in the side wallsof thestapling arm |0. Formed on the arm I2 are the anvils I5, I6 and I6', the purpose of rwhich will be hereinafter apparent. t One end of the lower wall of the stapling arm IG is slotted at |'I and has adjacent thereto a slotted recess formed in base plate Adapted to reside within the stapling arm I!) is a cartridge 2|), Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14 and l5, in which plural staples 2| are supported. The staple carrying member 2|! which is referred to herein as a cartridge, which after it is empty is thrown away, rather than as a magazine which normally stays with the device, is preferably constructed of inexpensive and suitable plastic material, has a chamber 22 therein which is sealed against dirt and extraneous matter except for a throat opening 23 at oneY end thereof. The staples 2| aligned one to the other, are urged toward the throat opening 23 by means of a staple feeder which may comprise a ribbon spring 24, the end of which contacts the rearmost staple 2|. Formed .from the spring 24, Fig. 16, are plural ears 25 which-are arranged to engage and position the rearmost staple 2| relative thereto. The ears 25 extend forwardly of thestaple 2| approximately a distance equal to the radius of the staple wire and therefore permits the utilization Of the last remaining staple in the cartridge.

The throat 33 through which` the staples 2|, Fig. 12, are driven is formedby the end wall 3| of the cartridge 20, and a guide member 32 secured within thecartridge.V The inner wall of the throat 30 and the wall 3| are positioned to provide sufficient clearance for the passage of a single staple therethrough and the inner wall 32 is formed to provide' clearance on three sides thereof for the passage of the staples 2| there- 4 the other end of spring latch 31 is a pin 4| which passes through an aperture 4U formed in the related side wall of the stapling arm I0. The spring latch 3'I is slightly longer than the area between the aperture 40 and the pin I3, therefore the presence of the pin 4| in the aperture 40 urges a portion of the periphery of aperture 38 into the annular recess I4 in the pin I3.

The pin 4| extending into the stapling arm I0 engages a slotted recessZ formed in the side of cartridge 20 and the said cartridge pivoting on pin I3 is limited by the pin 4| contacting the ends of the slotted recess 42. Urging the cartridge 20 upwardly, is a spring I9 secured at one end tothe lower Wall of the stapling arm I 0.

During the insertion of a cartridge 2|) in the stapling arm I0, the recesses 43 in the hammer v35 are positioned to permit the sides of slot |'I to slide therein.

Thus, the driver 35 is latched to the stapling arm l0. It will be noted therefrom, that in action, the driver 35 is stationary while the cartridge reciprocates relative thereto. As shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, Y17 and 18, the arm I2 having the anvils l5, IB and i6' thereon, traveling downwardly by manual pressure compresses the spring l2 and moves the cartridge 20 therewith, to commence -upward movement of a staple 2|. The

` button 55 is positioned between the said arm and the cartridge 23. Further downwardly movement of arm I2 urges the staple 2| in the throat 35 against driver 35. The driver is immobile therefore the staple 2| moves upwardly through the throat opening 23 engaging the card 5|, passing therethrough and also the openings in the button 5D until engaged by the respective anvil. Continued pressure thereon bends the arms of the staple 2| inwardly thus securing the said button to the card. Subsequent removal of the manual pressure permits the spring I2' to return the armV I2 upwardly, allowing the card andV button to be removed from the stapling machine and the s-ucceeding staple to .be positioned for the next stapling operation.

. Figs. 9 and 1Gl illustrate the stapling of a second type of button 55 wherein a ring 59 extends at right angles to the rear of the button and the ring is attached to the card by driving the staple through the ring and the card. In this instance past. The lowermost side of the guide member throat 30 by the presence of the driver 35 and Y only when the saidV driver has returned to the position shown in Fig. 12 will the succeeding staple be urged into effective-driving position.

The cartridge 2li has at one end thereof, a recess 33 in which the pin I3 resides when the said cartridge, Fig. 7, is positioned in the stapling arm II). Intermediate the larm I2 and a side wall of stapling arm I0, is a spring latch 31 having an aperture 38 therein which is arranged to reside in a portion of the annular recess I4, thus locking the pin I3v against lateral movement. Secured to f ness of anvils I5 and I6.

the anvil I 5 is employed to clinch the staple after it has passed through the attaching aperture. To position the cartridge throat opening 23 in alignment with the anvil I5, the relative long cartridge 23 is removed and a shorter cartridge 5B is inserted in the stapling arm I. The cartridges .22 and 56 are identical in every respect except in length.

The anvil I5 -is provided for stapling a relatively large button, not shown, in a manner similar to that already disclosed. In this case however, the cartridge would be of a still shorter length and the staples therein may be larger, i. e., the crown of the staple would be proportionate to the positioning ofthe holes in the larger button. One of the special vpurposes for which the present staple is provided, i. e., attaching buttons to cards, requires that `the user see the full operation. Thisaccounts for the narrow- Such visibility is not necessary when driving a staple through pieces of paper.

It will be clear from the foregoing that when ar staple magazine vof intermediate size is being used, and which employs anvil I5 to clinch thev ing blade 35 will be positioned further inwardly in slot 'I1 than is shown in Figs. '7 and 8. Similarly when the shortest magazine is employed, in conjunction with anvil I6', the blade 35 will be positioned still further inwardly and slot l1' is of suiiicient length to permit the inward positioning.

The cartridges are intended to be constructed of a relatively inexpensive material to permit the disposing thereof when exhausted of staples so that a new cartridge may be readily inserted in the stapling machine. This desirable feature prevents possible injury to the handler thereof and allows for rapid reloading of the machine.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed as applied to the stapling of buttons, it is understood that the instant invention may be readily adapted to staple other types of objects.

While a form or embodiment of the invention has been shown Iand described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arrangement incidental to a specific application thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiment shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

In which I claim:

1. A stapling machine comprising a stapling arm and an anvil arm joined together at one end thereof by a pivot pin, the other end of the stapling arm having a slot therein, a disposable `cartridge for the staples which is arranged to be mounted at one end thereof on the pivot pin and having a staple throat at its opposite end, a staple driver slidably mounted in the throat and having a portion at its non-driving end received in the slot in the stapling arm so as to move the driver to drive a staple when the cartridge is moved toward such arm, springs for normally centering the cartridge between the arms, and pin-and-slot means for limiting movement between the stapling arm and the cartridge.

2. A stapling machine comprising a stapling arm and an anvil arm joined together at one end thereof by a pivot pin, the other end of the stapling arm having a slot therein, a disposable cartridge for the staples which is arranged to be mounted at one end thereof on the pivot pin and having a staple throat at its opposite end, a driver slidably mounted in the throat and having a portion at its non-driving end received in the slot in the stapling arm in locked relation so as to move the driver to drive a staple when the cartridge is moved toward such arm, springs for normally centering the cartridge between the arms, the cartridge having a slot in the side wall thereof and a pin-mounted in the stapling arm extending into suchslot for limiting movement between the stapling arm and the cartridge.

3. A stapling machine comprising a stapling arm, an anvil arm and a pivot pin for joining the arms together at one end thereof, the other end of the staplingv arm having a longitudinal slot therein, a disposable cartridge for the staples which is mounted at one end thereof on the pivot pin and having a staple throat at its opposite end, a driver slidably mounted in the throat and having a generally T-shaped portion which is received in the slot in the stapling arm to lock the driver to the stapling arm so as to move the driver to drive a staple when the cartridge is moved relative to such arm, springs for normally centering the cartridge between the arms, and pin-and-slot means for limiting movement between the stapling arm and the cartridge.

ROBERT J. BEECROFT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 541,088 Heird June 18, 1895 580,556 Reinhold Apr. 13, 1897 836,662 Briggs' Nov. 20, 1906 2,227,314 Maynard Dec. 31, 1940 2,237,589 Dole -1 Apr. 8, 1941 2,251,917 Crosby Aug. 12, 1941 2,309,763 Goodstein Feb. 2, 1943 

